Awarded annually since 1939, the medal acknowledges an individual for outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and for unselfish cooperation in research. Rodriguez-Iturbe, the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will receive the medal in December at the annual meeting of the AGU in San Francisco.

Rodriguez-Iturbe came to Princeton University in 1999 after serving as the head of the civil engineering department at Texas A&M University. His research focuses on the movement of water through ecosystems, landscapes and the atmosphere.

The Bowie Medal was established in honor of William Bowie, who served as the first AGU president (1919-1922).